From Cecilia Chung...
Welcome! My name is Cecilia Chung and I live in San Francisco, California. If you are looking for Cecilia Cheung, the Chinese actress, then you have come to the wrong site. If you are from the media and is looking specifically for information about me, please note that the spelling of my name is C-e-c-i-l-i-a and not Cecelia.
Cecilia - What's in a name?
If you are curious about the origin of my name, here's it's history. Cecilia is the feminine form of Caecilius or Cecil, which was derived from Latin caecus which means "blind". St Cecilia is the patron saint of music and the Celtic name, Sissy, was derived from Cecilia.
Why did I pick the name Cecilia? My first choice was the name Cordelia which often believed to be the feminine form of coeur de lion since I am a Leo. I used to see my relationship with my father like the one shared by Cordelia and King Lear. But as I journeyed into womanhood, I realize in fact that I was the one who's blind and not able to understand and appreciate my father's way of loving his children.
So there you have it. Thanks again for visiting.
A Big Welcome To Just Detention International
Posted by Cecilia Chung
As some of you may know, I am on the board of an extraordinary organization. Today, we are reintroducing our organization with a new name. The following is a re-post of the letter that our ED, Lovisa Stannow, sent out this morning. For more information about what we do, please visit http://www.justdetenion.org or http://www.spr.org
Dear Friend,
I’m writing with exciting news. Stop Prisoner Rape has a new name.
Starting today, September 4, 2008, we will be Just Detention
International. But while our name is changing, our mission will remain
the same – to end sexual abuse in all forms of detention.
Hundreds of thousands of people have been raped in U.S. detention
facilities, and many were prisoners when the assaults occurred.
Countless others, however, have endured different forms of sexual abuse.
Many were victimized not in prisons, but in jails, immigration
detention, juvenile facilities, or police lock-ups. The name Just
Detention International makes clear that we are fighting for their
rights too.
Our new name also captures better the basic principles that inspire our
work. Simply put, when the government removes someone’s liberty, it
incurs the absolute responsibility to protect that person’s safety.
Incarceration must be just. Rape and other forms of sexual abuse must
never be part of the penalty.
Just Detention International is the only organization in the U.S.
working exclusively to end sexual abuse behind bars. We will continue to
focus much of our attention on American detention facilities. But
recognizing that sexual violence is a global problem, we will also
expand our international program. Our South Africa initiative is already
stimulating real change in prisons plagued by sexual abuse. We are
working with government officials and human rights advocates to make
Mexican prisons and jails safer. And we are exploring a unique chance to
address sexual abuse in detention in the Philippines.
The reason we do this work is simple: sexual violence behind bars is
torture. It’s a perversion of justice and an affront to our society’s
core values. It shatters the lives of thousands of people every year,
and it hurts the rest of us as well, by spreading violence and disease
far beyond the prison walls.
Sexual violence in detention is preventable. It doesn’t have to be part
of prison life. Every day, Just Detention International hears from
inmates who have endured shocking abuses. Their experiences show clearly
that it is a lack of political will, poor detention policies, and bad
management that allow rape and other forms of sexual abuse to flourish.
Thank you for helping us end sexual violence in detention.
Sincerely,
Lovisa Stannow
Executive Director
P.S. Today is the fifth anniversary of the federal Prison Rape
Elimination Act (PREA). Just Detention International was instrumental in
securing the passage of this unique law. We now lead the call for its
meaningful implementation.
ROAR PSA Poster Contest
Posted by Cecilia Chung
One America, MEDC, the Washington Bus, R.O.A.R. and Youth Media Institute are hosting a PSA/poster contest.
The theme is ”Civic Engagement in our Communities,” specifically motivating youth to participate in this year’s electoral process.
The contest is split into two contests:
1.) Video public service announcement
2.) Graphic art design in the form of bumper stickers, posters, fliers, postcards, campaign buttons, etc.
Submissions may be used for GOTV (Get out the Vote) efforts. Special consideration will be given for multi-lingual submissions.
Contest Rules:
-Entries must convey the theme “CIVIC ENGAGEMENT IN COMMUNITIES OF COLOR”
-Participants must be between the ages of 14-24
-PSA submissions must be burned onto a DVD and mailed to the address below by the submission due date
-Poster design submissions must be 8″x11″
-An electronic copy of graphic art designs must be mailed to the address below by the due date.
-Mailed submissions must be postmarked by September 1, 2008 at 5:00PM.
Submit your entries to
PSA & Poster Design Contest
4409 DELRIDGE WAY SW SUITE 112
SEATTLE, WA 98106
For more information, visit www.ROAR-WASHINGTON.ORG or contact Jared Jonson at jared-jonson@roar-washington.org
An open letter to the LGBT community & our allies, from the Alice B. Toklas LGBT Democratic Club
Posted by Cecilia Chung
Alice B. Toklas LGBT Democratic Club
\1800 Market Street, PMB 18
San Francisco, CA 94102-6227
June 12, 2008
An open letter to the LGBT community & our allies, from the Alice B. Toklas LGBT Democratic Club
After much consideration by our board and members, it is with regret that we write this letter announcing our decision to forgo this year’s Human Rights Campaign (HRC) dinner in San Francisco, scheduled for July 16, 2008. We also encourage others in the LGBT community and our allies to forgo HRC’s gala event this year, due to HRC’s ongoing refusal to advocate for federal legislation that protects all Americans from discrimination based on gender identity and expression – as well as sexual orientation.
At the end of the last century, the LGBT community arrived at a consensus: that the full membership of the LGBT community would be honored and embraced, regardless of differences among us, be they based upon race, class, gender, gender identity and expression, or other factors. What was once called a "gay" community in the past, now self-defines, and is known internationally, as the LGBT community. United, the LGBT community works diligently to ensure that all LGBT community members are protected from discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity, and/or gender expression.
It is especially important that our leading civil rights institutions, like HRC, uphold our shared commitment to diversity and inclusion, and lead our movement in a responsible and forward-looking manner.
Unfortunately, last Fall HRC betrayed its own legacy and values, and betrayed the LGBT community, when the organization’s leadership reversed its long-standing commitment to inclusive legislation, suddenly advocating passage of a federal Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) that, for sake of expediency, deliberately excluded gender identity and expression protections. This cynical move left millions of Americans vulnerable to gender discrimination in employment, and implied that, while discrimination based on sexual orientation was unacceptable, bias and intolerance based on gender identity or expression were negotiable. Even worse, HRC’s leadership made its decision in secret, breaching its collaboration with every other national LGBT organization, including PFLAG, the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, the National Center for Lesbian Rights, the Stonewall Democrats, the National Center for Transgender Equality, the Transgender Law Center, and over 350 other national, state, and local LGBT organizations – including the Alice B. Toklas LGBT Democratic Club.
Since that time, HRC has made little effort to reverse course on this issue. HRC’s Executive Director, Joe Solomonese, now asserts that his prior statements about HRC’s unwavering commitment to inclusion were simply "misstatements". In fact, even to this day, HRC remains uncommitted to introduction of an inclusive employment non-discrimination bill – even though Congress must introduce an entirely new bill during its next session in January 2009.
As the nation’s oldest LGBT Democratic club, Alice and its members are deeply committed to inclusion within our community, and expect other LGBT organizations to uphold this commitment as well. While we have supported HRC in the past and look forward to doing so in the future, in light of the above we cannot in good conscience support this year’s HRC gala fund raiser and, regrettably, feel compelled to ask our fellow San Franciscans, also, to forgo the HRC gala this year – until such time as HRC reaffirms its commitment to inclusion, especially with respect to introduction and passage of an inclusive employment non-discrimination bill.
Particularly at this point in time, it is important that we support LGBT organizations working actively, on all of our behalf, against non-discrimination and for full equality – and especially those organizations working for passage of an inclusive ENDA. Instead of attending this year’s HRC event, we kindly ask that you consider investing in an explicitly trans inclusive organization, such as the Transgender Law Center, or any of the 350+ other local, state, and national organizations working toward this end (listed at www.unitedENDA.org).
Many thanks for your time, attention, and continued commitment to diversity and inclusion in our community.
Sincerely,
Alice B. Toklas LGBT Democratic Club
Please Support Marriage Equality!
Posted by Cecilia Chung
Please sign up for a shift in the next two weeks!
We have a chance to make history and STOP this ballot initiative before it happens. The work done so far on the Decline to Sign IS making a difference. But it is going to be close! Just one shift by everyone on this list WILL make a difference!
Again, we are asking YOU and your network of activist friends to contact our campaign and sign up for at least one volunteer shift. We have a real opportunity to keep this horrible thing off the ballot, but only if we get out there now! Ask them to Join our Rapid Response team today[http://ga1.org/EFA/join.tcl]
